By the time she finished the stables and was ready for lunch, Zane was awake and had sent Daniel to the Tri-Cities area to pick up a part for one of the tractors. He gave her a couple small tasks to do, then told her to rest up if she planned to help at the calving sheds tonight.
"Hey, Riley, come watch this," Emily said when Riley walked into the family room that afternoon. "Adam’s got the cutest little giggles."
Riley sat down on the couch near them and watched Emily tickle Adam's chubby little thighs. The giggles that erupted from Adam turned to squeals, and Riley found herself laughing right alongside mother and son.
She'd never been one of those women who were eager to get married at a young age and start having babies right away because shehad goals she wanted to accomplish. She'd gotten her degree two years ago, though. Marriage seemed like the logical next step, but she hadn't met anyone she could care about like she had Daniel.
Emily repeated the tickling until little Adam could hardly breathe. Eventually, she gave the baby a break and held up a toy for him to bat. "So how are you adjusting to life on the ranch again?"
"Good. I hardly get saddle sore when I ride now." Riley relaxed back on the couch.
"How are you and Daniel getting along?"
Tension filled Riley's body. "Fine."
"That's good. I know it can be hard to work with someone you have history with." Emily cast a casual glance her way, but Riley felt like her sister-in-law could read every emotion on her face—the ones she showed and the ones she tried to hide. "Didn't you two used to date?"
"Yeah, only for a couple of months though."
Two amazing, blissful months.
But they ended abruptly when Daniel suggested she transfer to Oregon Health and Science University to finish her nursing degree so they could be together while he did his internship with an architectural firm. Then they would get married.
But Riley had just been accepted into the Nurse Practitioner program at University of Washington, and it felt like too much of a sacrifice to walk away from her goals. So, she'd ended the relationship. And regretted it ever since.
"Two months is long enough to form a solid relationship after being life-long friends."
Not solid enough to keep me from panicking at the mention of marriage.
Riley didn't bother responding. She didn't want to admit how heartbroken she'd been to walk away from Daniel or acknowledge how badly she'd hurt him.
Emily must have decided to change the subject because she said, "Are you sleeping any better than you did that first night?"
Additional tension hit Riley, and she sat up. She wasn't sure how to answer. She didn't want to tell Emily the truth, but she feared theother woman would see right through her if she lied. For all she knew, Emily had been up with Adam again when Riley sneaked out to the stables the past few nights or heard her return and take a hot shower.
She recalled Jake's words that morning, encouraging her to talk to Emily, but she couldn’t make her mouth form the words to tell her sister-in-law what happened to her. Besides not wanting to relive the assault, she didn’t want to tell anyone how violated and filthy she felt. Shame ate at her for getting herself in that position, and she felt weak for not being able to protect herself better.
Riley pushed to her feet. "I'm fine. Speaking of sleep, I should rest a little since I'm working the calving sheds tonight."
She hurried to her room and closed the door. She hated being rude, but she wasn't ready to face the demons Emily wanted her to face.
Riley laid on her bed and tried to rest but she couldn't shut her mind off.
Would she ever be able to talk about what happened to her? How long would it take her to get over the sense of panic that seized her every time a man got close? Why was Daniel still here on the ranch? Did he have a girlfriend?
The lack of an answer to all these questions left her feeling heavy and exhausted, but she wasn’t sure she truly wanted to know the answer to that last question.
Riley wassurprised when Jake made it home from Missoula in time for dinner. She was also stunned and a little disappointed when Lottie announced that Daniel wouldn't be joining them for dinner.
"He's having dinner with a friend in Pasco, so he won't be home until late. But he promised he'd take his shift at the calving sheds tonight."
Friend?
Riley couldn't recall Daniel having any friends in Pasco, so again, she had to wonder if he had a girlfriend.
Is that why he's sticking around the ranch now?
Both Emily and Jake's heads popped up at Lottie's news. But Emily spoke first. "Who is he having dinner with?" Tension filled her voice, and Riley didn't miss the hitch in both hers and Jake's shoulders.
